COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State Buckeyes' 2016 and 2017 Big Ten Conference football schedules are now set as the Big Ten Conference today released its conference schedules for the two seasons. The 2016 campaign will kick off the Big Ten's nine-game conference scheduling format.

The Buckeyes will play nine consecutive weeks of Big Ten games in 2016 without an off week. Following the only off week of the 2016 season on Sept. 24, Ohio State will open Big Ten play with consecutive home games at Ohio Stadium - Oct. 1 vs. Rutgers and Oct. 8 vs. Indiana - followed by back-to-back road games: Oct. 15 at Wisconsin and Oct. 22 at Penn State.

The Buckeyes will then repeat the two home and two road games scenario. On Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, the team will host Northwestern and Nebraska, respectively, and then it will travel consecutive weeks for games at Maryland (Nov. 12) and at Michigan State (Nov. 19). The 2016 regular season will close Nov. 26 vs. Michigan in Ohio Stadium.

Game with IU opens 2017 season
Ohio State and Indiana will kick off the 2017 season Sept. 2 in Bloomington. The game will represent Ohio State's first season opener vs. a Big Ten school since 1976 (Michigan State) and it will be the first time Ohio State has opened a season on the road since 1998 (at West Virginia).

Ohio State and Indiana have opened a season five times previously. The Buckeyes are 12-0 all-time in season-opening games against Big Ten competition.

Ohio State will resume its 2017 Big Ten campaign four weeks after the IU game. The Buckeyes will play at Rutgers Sept. 30 before hosting Maryland Oct. 7 for its first Big Ten home game.

Schedules nearly complete
The announcement of the Big Ten games for 2016 and 2017 leaves Ohio State with just one game to be scheduled for those two seasons. One non-conference opponent is needed for 2017 with non-conference games vs. Oklahoma (Sept. 16 at Ohio Stadium) and at North Carolina (Sept. 23) already set.

The 2016 non-conference season is complete with games against Bowling Green (Sept. 3), Tulsa (Sept. 10) and at Oklahoma (Sept. 17).